Dark Midnight
by timenspace
Summary: The darkness, the indelible dark...Too many memories...too many dead. Midnight episode, Doctor's POV, Doctor/Rose


"Now then Sky - are you Sky?" He's trying to calm down. She's something, but he's never encountered what it is, and its a bit to _fascinating _to give up just yet. She's saying it in synch, like she anticipates what he's going to say. "Is Sky still in there?" But her eyes are blank and emotionless - crazed really. "Mrs. Silvestry? You know exactly what I'm going to say how are you doing that?" He feels a bit tired suddenly, and he _wants _to pull away, but he can't quite do it, like he's _frozen _to the spot. It feels like the life force is being suctioned out of him..."Roast beef. Medusa Cascade." _His name. "BANG!" _Still no reaction. No flare of the mind. She's gone, but what is it that's possessed her? He takes a dare and talks faster, seeing if perhaps he can see what's going on as he probes Sky's mind. "Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, TARDIS!" Nothing. No brain waves, no memories. _Nothing. _It baffles him, but he's still riveted to the spot. "Shamble bobble dibble dooble." Nonsense. Gibberish. "Oh Doctor, you're so handsome, yes I am thank you." Trying to find _some bare shred _of life. "A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O - " _P. _Silence. She knows, but how can she know? No one can penetrate his mind, the walls are too thick.

"She's sychronized." Professor Hobbs speaks.

But its a scaring thrill, he has to protect the rest of the travelers before she might go raving mad. They're scared, and scared humans are capable of terrible things.

"First she repeats. Then she catches up. What's the next stage..?" He's more curious than a bit scared.

Sky repeats the little sobbing noises Val makes. "I think, the more we talk, the more she learns. Now, I'm all for education, but in this case, maybe not. Let's just... move back. Come on. Come with me." He's pensive, that tense look on his face. He doesn't like this, but he has to find out _what _it is, before he gives it the oppurtunity to choose."Everyone, get back, all of you, as far as you can."

Val lingers, the woman could be lethal if she comes unhinged. "Doctor, just make her stop."

"Val, come on, with me, come to the back, stop looking at her, come on, Jethro, you too, everyone, come on..." It's like they're riveted to the spot.

They back away from her, terrified.

They bicker about who to throw out and who not to. But the Doctor protests. "Nobody is throwing anybody out." He doesn't believe in that, they're so quick to want to be rid of anything that doesn't make sense to them.

But then she focuses on him -- and only him. Sucking the life out of him....

"When did she..? No she hasn't, look, she's still doing it." He doesn't like the feeling that's come over him.

"She looks the same to me..." Val begins, then grins triumphantly. "Oh she's stopped! Look, I'm talking, and she's not!"

Then Biff wants to know if the same is true for him. "What about me? Is she..? Look! Look at that! She's not doing me, she's let me go!"

"Mrs Silvestry..?" The Hostess asks. Testing. "Nor me! Nothing!"

"Sky? What are you doing..?" He's sure its not as well as it appears, and as she repeats him, his fears are confirmed.

"She's still doing him!" Dee Dee says terrified.

"Doctor. It's you. She's only copying you."

The Doctor faces Sky properly. _What's really going on? What is that? Why me? _"Why me..? Why are you doing this?"

"She won't leave him alone! D'you see?! I said so, she's _with _him!" Val says viciously.

The accusation falls hard. He's been accused of many things, including that, and it only brings fresh pain of long forgotten memories.

"They're together!" Biff adds

"How d'you explain it, Doctor? If you're so clever." Professor Hobbes challenges.

"I don't know," he says slowly. He doesn't like that feeling, as though one of his hearts is being literally ripped out of his chest. His voice rises to a near female pitch in fear: "Sky, stop it. I said stop it. Just _stop it!!" _He stops himself. _He's losing it, someone's inside his head, burning through his mind. Not going delicatly as Rinette had done, ripping through it. But he's got to go to her, got to..._

"Look at the two of them..." Val says.

He kneels in front of her,trying to figure out what just happened. "Mrs Silvestry. I'm trying to understand. You've captured my

speech, what for? What d'you need?" He realizes with horror what's going on. And he can't stop the cycle. "You need my voice in particular. The cleverest voice in the room." _The one wracked with the most painful memories._ "Why? Cos I'm the only one who can help? Ohh, I'd love that to be true. But your eyes. They're saying something else."

_Why can't I pull away? _But he's drawn in, like a moth to a flame. He moves closer. Face to face. "Listen to me. Whatever you want, if it's life, or form, or consciousness, or voice, you don't have to steal it. You can find it, without hurting anyone. And I'll help you. That's a promise. So. What d'you think? Do we have a -

"Deal?" She finishes his sentence. And its gone. He gasps for air, but there's nothing. The darkness...the darkness closes in, misting out his surroundings, disorienting him. He can hear everything, but its as though he is trapped in a chest, and there is no way out...nothing...he tries to move, tries to reach for his sonic screwdriver, but he's trapped...its as though he's gone rigid...

Silence, both staring, as this sinks in. Terror for one of the few times rampages through his system as he realizes what's happened. _My voice...._but it's gone.

"Hold on, did she just..?" Dee Dee speaks first.

"She spoke first," Jethro agrees.

"She can't have," Val denies.

_Something, anything....Anyone?? I can't talk..._

"She did!" Hobbes insists.

"She spoke first!" Jethro insists.

"Oh look at that, I'm ahead of you..." Sky-but-not-Sky says.

"Oh look at that, I'm ahead of you..." he hears himself say. _I can't see. I can't see..._

"Did you see? She spoke before he did! Definitely!" Professor Hobbes spoke.

"He's copying her." Jethro says.

"Doctor..? What's happening?" The Professor asks.

_Help...me... _But his jaw is locked shut, his voice gone...

"I think it's moved. I think it's letting me go." Sky says, staring at him triumphantly, taunting him.

"I think it's moved. I think it's letting me go." And nothing. It's not that he couldn't think of what to say it was he couldn't...

She's getting stronger. The delay in the synch slightly longer, the Doctor now a few words behind. He's losing strength. He can't fight it for much longer. One heart has already slowed. And the Doctor knows it. Terrified. His face is trying to say: _No, please NO! _Even though he says what Sky says, and nothing else. And at the same time, Sky is getting physically stronger, Sitting upright. The Doctor, weaker. Stuck, kneeling.

"What does that mean, letting you go from what?" Dee Dee asks.

"But one doing it! It's him!" Biff says.

"They're separating," Jethro says reasonably.

"Mrs Silvestry? Is that you?" Professor Hobbes asks.

"Yes, yes it is, it's me, I'm coming back. Listen. It's me!" Sky says

"Yes, yes it is, it's me, I'm coming back. Listen. It's me!"

But saying that, the Doctor's face is saying, _this is wrong!_ But he can't stop his mouth from moving, he's repeating now,_ no no no!_

"Like... it's passed into the Doctor. It's transferred. Whatever it is, it's gone inside him," Jethro tries to reason it out.

_NO! Whatever it is, it steals your voice, steals you...Someone, anyone...look at me. Look at my face! _

"No, that's not what happened," Dee Dee says carefully.

"But look at her!" Val reasons

Sky flexes an arm, like she's waking.

_It hurts, The pain, the pain of the neverending dark..._

"I can move... I can feel again, I'm coming back to life. And look at him. He can't move." The taunting in the tone of it's voice.

"I can move... I can feel again, I'm coming back to life. And look at him. He can't move." _The air, it's leaving. It's worse than the sun creature...lost the overlap, simple repeat...Can't fight it...I can't move, can't see, can't think.._

"Help me."

"Help me." _Please, look at me...she's stolen it...I don't know...how...much...longer.._

"Professor..?" Sky asks, innocent as ever

"Professor..?" His tone is slightly insecure. _Rose! If only I'd convinced Donna to come. _

"Get me away from him." _Being near me makes it feel guilty..._

"Get me away from him." He repeats in a flat tone.

"Please."

"Please."

The tears are brimming in his eyes. He can't speak, so they don't know what this is...he can't save them like he always has, even though they are undeserving...will it siphon the life out of all of them?

The Professor holding back, still scared of her... But she's weak, begging, and he can't help himself - He goes to her, helps her to stand. She clasps hold -

"Ohh thank you." It sighs with relief. It's completely absorbed her, like the Vashta Nerada in a walking suit.

"Ohh thank you," Bare minimum he can inflect the emotion. The tears...don't they see the desperation on his face? Panic and fear. _The dark..._It's easier to blame him, when they don't have to look at him.

"They've completely separated." Jethro says.

"It's him, it's in him, d'you see, I said it was him all the time -" Biff justifies.

"She's free! She's been saved!" Val says joyfully.

"It was so cold."

_Ice daggers. Shivering. "_It was so cold." _Shaking...worse than Ood..._

"I couldn't breathe."

"I couldn't breathe." The words come out with difficulty as he grasps at air...any air.

Sky tearfully pathetic, reaches out for Val. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry." _Sorry I was so curious about it, I forgot my own safety...and now...I'm dying..._

"I must've scared you, so much."

"I must've scared you, so much." _Someone...can...anyone..hear me..._

Val runs to her, comfortingly."No, no, it's all right, I've got you, there you are, my love, it's gone, everything's all right now."

"I wouldn't touch her."

_Fight it Dee. Atta girl._

"But it's gone, she's clean, it's passed into him." Biff overrides her.

"That's not what happened," she protests. knowing what she's talking about.

"Thank you for your opinion, Dee, but clearly, Mrs Silvestry has been released." The Professor says.

_It's not like possession...it eats you alive...! Listen to her. Just this once!_

"No," Dee says confidently.

Val defends Sky. "Just leave her alone! She's safe, isn't she? Jethro? It's let her go, hasn't it?"

The boy isn't sure"..I think so, yeah. Looks like it. Professor?"

"Well, um, I'd say, from observation... The Doctor can't move, and when she was possessed, she couldn't move, so..." He leaves off the sentence for everyone to create a consensus.

_It's not like...that! Screaming inside, calling for anyone to hear. _

"Well there we are! Now the only problem we've got is this Doctor." Biff says.

_The humans never do like him once a crisis happens. _

Sky begins to prey on their fears._ "_It's inside his head."

"It's inside his head."

"It killed the Driver."

"It killed the Driver." _I didn't do it...didn't...it's still her, its just stolen..._

"And the mechanic."

"And the mechanic." _Sky's gone...just a shell...of a ravonous what-ever-it-is...dementor..._

"And now it wants us." Smooth tone.

"And now it wants us." _Someone, anyone....the dark...it's the dark..._

"I said so!" Val said in a know-it-all tone.

"He's waited so long."

"He's waited so long."_ It wants to blame me, and I don't even know What It is!_

"In the dark."

"In the dark." _So scared...so alone..._

"And the cold."

"And the cold." _So cold...so dead feeling...memories...._

"And the diamonds."

"And the diamonds." _I destroyed Gallifrey. Me. My own planet...what sort of animal am I? _

"Until you came."

"Until you came." _Donna...wouls she...no us worrying what can't be done anything... about _

"Bodies so hot."

"Bodies so hot." _So cold...so cold...so scared..._

"With blood."

"With blood." _Vampyrn?_

"And pain."

"And pain." _Mother...Charley...Koschei...Rose....I was vulnerable...too much pain..._

"Make him stop, oh my God, make him stop, someone make him stop -" Val pleads.

"But - " Dee protests. _She knows. Small relief...they've closed their minds. And I'm too weak...The Hostess..._

"And you can shut up!" Biff retorts.

"I'm sorry, but it's not him, it's she's saying it! _her, he's just repeating!" _She tries to make them see.

_Rose! Rose….I can't see…can't feel…can't think…I'm dying, Rose. The indelible dark. I'm scared of the dark... _

"But that's what the thing does, it repeats!" Biff says.

He shivers again, ever so slightly, his eyes wracked with terror. But the humans don't notice. They're too busy discussing who's what and what's who…_I couldn't …save them…couldn't…powerless…despair…my family…my home…nothing…_

"Let her talk." The Hostess.

_Hope is barely a tiny glimmer where I am…so cold. So dark. Daleks.… Vashta Nerada, …Ood …but this…this is something…it's worst than evil…the darkness…the neverending darkness._

"Oy, what do you know? Fat lot of good you've been!" Biff shouts. _Dying without you. It hurts, hurts so badly, it's the darkness, Rose._

_"_Just let her explain." she says tersely, trying to hold her temper.

He barely hears their argueing, too weak to comprehend any more than bare minimum what they are saying.

"I think... I mean, from what I've seen... It repeats, then it synchronises, then it goes to the next stage, that's exactly what the Doctor said would happen!" _Thank Rassilion..._

"What, and you're on his side?" Biff challenges._ I can't…can't defend myself._

"No, but that's what I just saw! She took his voice!" Dee protests.

"But the voice is the thing!" Jethro defends.

"And she's the voice! She stole it! Listen to her! It's not possessing him, it's draining him!" _Can't move…can't speak…it…has…the memories…they hurt…so scared…so cold…_

"She's got his voice..." The Hostess whispers.

"No, but that's not true, cos it can't be, cos I saw it pass into him, I saw it with my own eyes!" Val justifies.

_It's her, its him. I know who's arguing what, even if I have no concept of the words. Suppose the psychic network of the Year That Never Was attuned my skills._

"So did I!" Biff agrees.

"But you didn't!" Dee defends her point.

"It went from her, to him. You saw it, didn't you?" She turns to her son for support.

"I don't know." Jethro is a scared kid.

"Don't be stupid, Jethro, of course you did!" she coaches

"I suppose... He was right next to her. But he isn't sure.

"There we are then!" Val asserts.

"Everyone saw it, _everyone!"_ Biff added

_The continue to argure, but their voices are muffled and undiscernable. _

"That's how he does it."

"That's how he does it." _There isn't much time. I can't fight it much longer..._

"He makes you fight."

"He makes you fight." _Even though all he wants is peace in the universe. _

_"_Creeps into your head."

"Creeps into your head." _The link...its..breaking..._

"And whispers."

"And whispers." _Please..._

"Listen."

"Listen." _Listen to Dee. Listen to her...._

"Just listen."

"Just listen."

"That's him."

"That's him."

"Inside."

"Inside." _It's called a conscience!_

"Don't let him whisper, shut him up, shut him up, get him out of my head!" Val shouts.

"Throw him out. Yeah, we should throw him out!"

"Well don't just talk about it! Don't be so useless! Do something!" Val pleads.

"I will! You watch me! I'm gonna throw him out!" Biff says.

"Yes!"

"Yes!" _Don't. Please. I. Don't. I…can't die…can I? I.._

"Throw him out!"

"Throw him out!" _That's what it wants. _

"Get rid of him!"

"Get rid of him!" The words are being forced out of his mouth.

__

"Now!"

__

"Now!" What is it about me that's so important? Am I that fun to torture?

"Don't - !" Dee pleads.

"It'll be you next!" Val threatens.

_Being dragged._ ...._Can't you see? The panic? Calm. Calm down...I'm scared...scared of the dark...why do you think I go to the place of sunlight...? I -- I'll die within seconds....Donna...Donna...what's going to happen to her? There's no one but me..._

"I don't think we should do this -" The Hostess protests.

"It was your idea!"

"You thought of it!"

_When confronted, we all cower...try to delay...something...anything...foot's stuck..._

"Professor! Help me!"

"I can't... I'm not..." _You're not a murderer, and you know it...._

"What sort of man are you? Come on!" _Test of the will...you've never killed...you don't know what it's like...it infects you...like a disease..._

"- just, grab hold of him - not like that, are you stupid?!, don't -"

Val is a constant voice, standing to the side, never stopping, improvising around: "Throw him out! Just throw him out! Out! Just do it!" -

"Cast him out!"

"Cast him out!" _Not the dark....not the dark..._

"Into the sun!"

"Into the sun!" _Rose, the light in my sky...Rose!_

"And the night!"

"And the night!" _So dark...so cold..._

"Do it!"

"Do it!" _Dying isn't like just blacking out before regeneration...it can't be..._

"Do it now!"

"Do it now!" _Do I even believe in an afterlife?_

"Get his legs - grab hold of his legs -"

_I"LL DIE FIGHTING!!! Manage to just twist out of his grasp._

"Jethro! Help him! Jethro! Don't just stand there! Do as I say!!" Biff at the head - so they've

_Weakening. Can't hold on ...much ...longer_

"Faster!"

"Faster!" _Dead weight. Slow them down. _

"That's the way!"

"That's the way!"

You can do it!

You can do it!

Molto bene!

Molto bene! _Torture...it hurts...Valiant..._

_.. …there's no oxygen…the extonic sunlight will burn me within mere seconds. Donna…is she going to be alright? I've just managed to make a minor delay. Wedge my foot on the seats. They'll…have…to…move…it…I'm probably in worse pain than S…ky I still think…_

Allons-y!

Allons-y!

"That's his voice." _Whispered. Some ray of light into the Dark?_ "She's taken his voice! It's her!"

"The starlight waits!"

"The starlight waits!" _The forever night..._

"The emptiness!"

"The emptiness!"..._the empty dark...._

"The Midnight sky!"

"The Midnight sky!" _Cold and dark..._

No - !

"No - !" _So weak...I can't see...goodbye...Rose...._

"...four, five, six -"

Collapsing to the floor. The Hostess grappling Sky and opening the door. The bright sunlight burning in his face…white hot pain sears through both hearts…_I'm sorry Rose. Sorry I could never say it… I …love …_

_WHOOSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH_

_Am I dead? Mum? Dad? They're all dead. Timelords have an afterlife, but after what I did, I doubt I'm in it. Maybe the humans are right, and maybe they're wrong. They all believe so differently about it…_"It's gone, it's gone, it's gone, it's gone, it's gone..." _Finally air..._

He gasps for the air that's been denied those frightful minutes. He has his voice back. But he's too weak to laugh about it. Relieved. And disappointed.

Humans never change. They've always been a bit like the universe revolves around them…he doesn't want to get up just yet...it still hurts, the memories of all those he lost still freshly painful. He didn't want to die.

Val staring at the Doctor. _What now? Encouraging your son to murder? _

Silence.

"I said it was her."

The Doctor just looks at her. As though he couldn't _hear _just because his voice was gone. Such a look._ You know what you did. _

And Val is silent.

His head hurts from the ordeal, and he misses Rose terribly, wondering briefly of the afterlife, wondering what his people were thinking in their final seconds of life, wondering always if there was another way.

_Because of my stupidity, my gleeful curiousity, I'd almost been killed. And even though I've lived long and a difficult existance, I still don't want to die. Someone else has taken my place, just like the thousands of millions before. _

"The Hostess? What was her name?"

Nobody knew.

He's cursed. Cursed to wander Time and Space alone and misunderstood.

Donna's the best friend any human could ever want.

But Rose…was a soulmate. And there is no replacement.


End file.
